Authority Magazine's "Social Impact Tech" series highlights leaders whose companies are creating meaningful positive change. Rob Harvey, CEO of For The Win Robotics, was featured for FTW's mission to close equity gaps in STEM and computer science education through drone-based, experiential learning.

Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?
Education has always been part of my life; my mother was a teacher and poured her heart and soul into her work. She taught for nearly 40 years and served as the teacher association president. I saw first-hand that being a teacher is a demanding and nuanced role. It takes a lot of hard work and resilience, and I imagined that eventually I would devote my professional time towards making an impact in education.
Is there a particular person you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
Hands down, my family. My wife has always allowed me the space and guidance to foster big ideas. When I decided to leave the music industry and dedicate myself full-time to For the Win, she's been extremely supportive and has been right by my side the entire time. My daughters also play an instrumental role in my day-to-day success. They inspire me to see the world through their eyes and reinforce our mission to provide STEM and computer science access to all students, a critical element in preparing the future workforce.
What is your favorite "Life Lesson Quote"?

"When you find yourself in hell, keep going." — Winston Churchill

We all will find ourselves in impossible situations, where we must learn from the suffering and destabilization, quickly grow from it, and keep going. Oftentimes in business, there are situations or undertakings that seem insurmountable. But with calm and consistent intention, plus effort, there is always a path — with learning in the process as the added benefit.
Which three character traits were most instrumental to your success?
The character traits I've developed over the past two decades that have been most valuable are experience, fortitude, and emotional intelligence. Experience helps to understand the self and the market, allows for informed decisions, and establishes yourself as a trusted source. Fortitude means no matter the circumstance it is essential to keep going — there is no achievement without adversity. Finally, emotional intelligence: the valuable practice of separating decision making and emotion.

The Problem FTW Robotics Is Solving

What problems are you aiming to solve?
For the Win recognizes equity gaps in STEM and computer science education, specifically for students with disabilities and other historically underrepresented populations, and aims to fill these gaps through hands-on experiences that spark interest and excitement in STEM and computer science. Across the U.S., there is often limited access to technology that accelerates career options and provides students with high-quality, experiential learning opportunities.

Additionally, experiential learning technology used in classrooms is often cheap and ultimately discarded, left broken, or poor quality. For the Win's focus is on reusable and scalable tech that can be adapted to fit the needs of all classrooms and learners.
How does your technology address this?
For the Win's drone, Hopper, is highly durable. Equally as importantly, our Build Fly Code program was intentionally designed to first give students the basic working knowledge needed to operate, repair, and maintain the tool provided to them — students then deploy Hopper to solve problems and challenges. This durability and upskilling allows for multiple students to use Hopper over time, resulting in an incredibly low per-student cost over time. For the Win also works closely with educators, schools, districts, and states in a continued effort to connect Build Fly Code to underserved and underrepresented communities. We mean it when we say: all students.
What inspired you to feel passionate about this cause?
During my time in the music industry, I witnessed first-hand some of the most influential icons rise from unimaginable conditions, and a startling lack of resources available to them. It led me to think about other resources that are not available in underserved communities — including STEM and computer science technology and high-quality experiences. We developed Build | Fly | Code to be adaptable to all classrooms, especially those with scaled-back funding where districts must focus spending on solutions that really work.
How do you think this might change the world?
It is essential to equip students with the proper tools to succeed both through their education journey and in the workforce. This will allow students — especially those who may be underrepresented in in-demand tech jobs — to take ownership of skills that can accelerate career paths. Currently, women make up only 28% of the STEM workforce, and these gender gaps are especially high in the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future. For the Win Robotics is expanding the definition of a STEM and computer science education and allowing students to experience life-changing opportunities that inspire lifelong curiosity.

Five Things You Need to Know to Successfully Create Technology That Makes a Positive Social Impact

Rob Harvey's Five Principles

  1. Be intentional with development. Conduct research on your customer base and clearly understand their problems and needs. In the development of Build Fly Code, we work closely with educators to best understand how our technology can benefit the curriculum and classroom — and we are always asking for feedback. Our product and company are built on feedback. We continuously adjust and evolve based on this feedback from our growing community.
  2. Make it accessible. Technology must be accessible to all communities and people. It is a tall order but one we take very seriously.
  3. Have fun. At our recent event in Atlanta in conjunction with Fly Girls, it was thrilling to see students having fun, working together, laughing and smiling as they completed challenges and flew drones. Education technology can so often lose the appeal of being fun. It is essential to keep it exciting and top of mind for students to stay engaged.
  4. Foster partnerships. The value of a smart partnership is boundless. Our partnership with the STEM Learning Ecosystems Communities of Practice was founded on our shared interest in accessibility. We are grateful for the opportunity to create impact together by opening Build | Fly | Code programming to over 42 million students.
  5. Build a team of like-minded experts. It is essential to have a diverse range of experts all striving to provide best-in-class experiences for our customers, including those from diverse backgrounds and specialized careers — including Commander Jennifer Nicholls, who brings over 20 years of Naval service experience, expertise in aerospace engineering, and a drive to make experiential STEM education accessible for all.
What would you tell young people about why they should consider making a positive impact?
To begin engaging in this type of work, immerse yourself in a team doing something you believe in and watch the pieces fall into place. There are companies emerging every day that are making a positive change. And if no company is focusing on an issue important to you, start one. There is often a stigma around work that improves our environment or society that it is not profitable — but based on my experience, the work we are doing at For the Win is as rewarding, exciting, and impactful, if not more, than anything else I have ever done professionally.